Last night with an Italian Wedding Meatball Risotto:
2016 Herencia Del Padri Priorat Grenache Blend
60% grenache, and 20% each CS and Carignan. My last bottle of 8 purchased for an event that never happened. Have been slowly pulling them over many years, and every bottle's been better than the last. What started out as strawberries, red bell pepper and loads of sexy umami is now more substantively but still attractively dark plums, paprika, earth and black pepper with good acidity, depth and more evolution ahead. I swooned over every sip. At just $16/bottle original purchase price though that would have been maybe half it's original MSRP, I have probably never had a more satisfying value in my cellar.
With Xmas dinner of roast Capon and a champagne gravy:
2004 Château Clerc Milon Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
Decanted an hour before service. Perfectly ready; maturing dark cherry, plum, and tobacco notes. Silky texture, goes down easy, everybody's favorite.
2002 Château La Confession St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend
Decanted an hour before service. Good color and nose, but rough compared to the Clerc Milon, and less giving than expected based on a prior bottle in 2021.